Apparatus for removing solids and semisolid materials from solutions



H. R. BLACK Jun 19, 1962 APPARATUS FOR REMOVING SOLIDS AND SEMI-SOLIDMATERIALS FROM SOLUTIONS Filed Aug. 2'7. 1959 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR.

we A. 84406 June 19, 1962 H. R. BLACK 3,039,510

APPARATUS FOR REMOVING SOLIDS AND SEMI-SOLID MATERIALS FROM SOLUTIONS mTHE- 3 INVENTOR. HUGH R. BLACK. 44- BY A TTOR NEY States This inventionrelates to the art of removing solid and semi-solid materials fromsolutions.

The technique of recirculating solutions for the spray application ofcleaning solutions, phosphating solutions and rinses is now very old andwell-known to those skilled in this art. It is generally customary toinstall fixed or removable screens in the solution ahead of therecirculating pump to prevent soils such as lint, fibre, grease, metalfilings, sound deadeners and sealers from being recirculated. Suchmaterials, if not removed, create plugging of nozzles, pipes and otherequipment and in addition may redeposit upon the surface of the partbeing cleaned or treated producing an undesired effect.

The fixed or removable screens mentioned above are not completelyeffective due to limitations on usable mesh size. Screening withsufficiently fine mesh to effectively remove all of the undesirablematerials would plug rapidly and render the circulating systemsinoperative. 'Heretofore, the art has endeavored to avoid this diffculty by utilizing mesh openings of sufiicient size to prevent rapidplugging and periodically removing the screens from solution andcleaning with steam, brushing and/ or water flushing. The disadvantageof this is that particles get through and are deposited on the articlebeing treated or cleaned.

With the foregoing in mind, the principal object of my inventioninvolves the provision of a screening technique whereby smaller openingscan be used in a moving screen or other Woven fabric to providecontinuous cleaning of the screen or fabric.

I have discovered that screen or woven fabric of small opening sizetraveling into the solution, ahead of the circulating pump, and cleanedafter emerging from the solution prior to re-entry will provide aneffective, simple method for removing undesired solid or semi-solidmaterials from solution.

An ideal adaptation of the present invention is in a spray systemtypical of those used in the automatic body fabrication industry forcleaning and phosphate coating metal surfaces in preparation for organicfinishing. Material such as sound deadeners, joint sealers, soldergrindings, metal filings, lint, fibre and grease wash off of the metalbody, circulate through the spraying system and are re-deposited on themetal surface. Such materials when redeposited interfere with thephosphate coating and may result in excessive labor to remove prior topainting and to premature failure of the paint system.

It will be seen that my method or technique of screening or filteringwill prevent the recirculation of undesirable soils, effect an economyby reducing maintenance requirements and increase the end productquality.

These and other objects will be seen from the following specificationand claims in conjunction with the appended drawings in which: i

FIG.' 1 is a fragmentary partially sectioned end View of a recirculatingchemical spray booth with tank and power operated filter screen.

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view taken on line 2-2 of FIG. 1, partiallybroken away for illustration.

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary plan section taken on line 33 of FIG. 1.

It will be understood that the drawings illustrate merely a preferredembodiment of the invention and that other embodiments are contemplatedwithin the scope of the claims hereafter set forth.'

Referring to the drawings, there is shown in FIG. 1, a fragmentary endview of a chambered chemical spray or cleaning booth 11, includingupright side walls 12 and end walls 13 apertured at 14 to provide entryvia conveyors 16 of articles to be chemically sprayed, cleaned orotherwise treated or painted, etc.

The I-beam 15 is provisioned through said boothsuitably secured to anupper portion thereof centrally of chamber 10. for movably mounting aseries of trolley conveyor assemblies 16 activated by suitable powermeans, such as the cable 17in a conventional manner, and including loadmounting aperture 18 by which the articles to be treated may be movablysuspended from said beam.

The cleaning solutions or other material to be applied to the articlesmoved through the booth are delivered through conduit 19 which extendsinto the upper portion of the booth and joins at 20 to one or moreheaders or distribution pipes 21, including depending sides 22 andrammed ends 23.

A series of outlets or spray jet nozzles are diagrammatically indicatedat 24, extending from interior portions of pipes 2122'-23 for applyingthe cleaning solution or other chemical, or for that matter any solutiondesired, to workpieces as they are continuously transmitted throughchamber 10 of said booth.

Arranged below booth 11 and projecting laterally thereof is arecirculation and collection tank 25 maintaining a fluid level 26 incommunication with chamber 10 of the booth and from which excesssolution drops into the said tank. For clarity of illustration, the tankis shown relatively oversized with respect to the booth, fragmentarilyshown. Tank 25 includes bottom wall 27 mounted upon a suitable floorsurface, top wall 28 and end walls 29, FIG. 1.

Filter housing 30 is provisioned within tank 25 adjacent one end walland includes, as shown in FIG. 2, closed end wall Bland at its oppositeend a second end wall 32 having outlet'69 by which filtered solution istransmitted out from filtration tank 30 into chamber for recirculationby power operated constant delivery pump 72 and conduit 19, said pumpbeing diagrammatically shown.

Said filter housing includes bottom wall 33 and the elongated anglemembers 34 which fixedly connect end walls 31-32'with respect to eachother and with bottom wall 33.

Filter housing 30 has an inclined side wall 40 apertured at 3.9 belowthe level'of fluid within tank 25 extending to the bottom thereof andthroughout the length of said housing. Thus the entire lower portion ofthe filter housing is open to the recirculating fluid within said tank.

Wall 40 extendsabove tank 25 and joins the outwardly extending top wall41 which projects beyond tank 25. Wall 41 terminates in depending wall42 which terminates in the inwardly extending bottom wall 43 whichprojects partly over tank 25 as shown in FIG. 1. Accordingly, filterhousing 30 includes the upper chamber 45, within 3 which is positionedand rotatively driven the drive roller 49.

Chamber 45 at its lower end terminates in the filter screen cleaningchamber 46, which is further defined by the transverse upright wall 47,and which chamber includes a suitable drain outlet 48 by which water andother material washed from the continuously movable screen such as lint,fibre, grease, metal filings, sound deadeners and sealers, etc., may bewashed away.

Metallic drive roller 49 has secured thereto power driven elongatedshaft 50, which extends transversely through housing '41-42-43' and ismounted within suitable bearings 51 secured upon the exterior of saidhousing, as shown in FIG. 2.

Sprocket 52 is secured upon one end of shaft 50 and receives continuoussprocket chain 53 driven by sprocket 54 on power take-off shaft 55 ofspeed reducer 56 connected with motor 57. The motor and speed reducerassembly is secured at 58 upon the flanged supports 59, FIG. 1, upon thetop housing 41-43.

The filter housing includes towards its lower end a pair of transverseparallel spaced and horizontally disposed rollers 60 which are suitablyjournaled by bearings upon stationary shafts 62 whose ends are fixedlymounted upon end walls 3132 at 63, FIG. 2.

A second set of vertically spaced elongated horizontally disposedrollers 61 are arranged within upper portions of the filter housing,employing similar stationary mounting shafts 62 with suitable bearingsinterposed, which shafts are also fixedly secured to end walls 31-32.One of rollers 61 is provisioned for vertical adjustment as at 64 fortaking up any slack with respect to the continuous belt of filter screen65.

In the preferred embodiment, the belt-like filter is preferablyconstructed of a stainless steel, and for illustration, providesopenings having a dimension of approximately of an inch. It iscontemplated that the screen openings may be varied to suit theparticular conditions of usage.

The continuously movable filter screen in the form of a belt is movablymounted around power driven roller 49 and the additional guide rollers60-61, and is thus adapted for continuous movement within filter housing30, with side portions and bottom portions of said filter belt definingthe filtration chamber 68 into which all chemical solutions or othersolutions are filtered for recirculation through outlet 69, outletchamber 70, FIG. 2, and intake pipe '71 to the constant delivery poweroperated pump 72,'

schematically shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

The solution is filtered by entering chamber 68 either from the frontside of the inclined portion of the filter belt, from the undersurfaceof the horizontal portion or through the rear surface of the uprightportion thereof. Chamber 68 is closed off at its ends by walls 31-32,except for recirculation outlet 69, communicating with chamber 70, FIG.2. Thus all recirculated fluids must pass through the filter.

In addition to rollers 6061, marginal guides are provided upon theinterior of filter'housing 30 adapted to engage the edge of thecontinuously movable filter belt 65.

Referring to the transverse plan view of FIG. 3 taken on line 33 of FIG.1, the inclined portion of filter 65 at its opposing edges cooperativelybears against the inwardly extending support plates 44 whichrespectively project inwardly of and are suitably secured to end walls3132, in opposed relation. Likewise additional pairs of guideplates 66project inwardly from said end walls under which edge portions of thefilter bear. Additional upright guide flanges or plates 67 projectinwardly from the respective end walls Bil-32 against which uprightportions of the filter belt slidably bear.

Arranged transversely through the upper chamber 45 of the portion of thefilter housing laterally outward of tank 25 there is provisioned thehorizontally disposed pipe 73, which upon the exterior of the housing isjoined to a suitable source of water, steam, or other cleaning fluidwith manual control valve 75 interposed as shown in FIG. 2.

A series of jet-like outlets 76 are spaced along the bottom of pipe 73which is positioned above the lower horizontally disposed portion of thefilter belt as it moves towards power roller drive 49.

There is thus provided a continuous cleaning and flushing spray whichextends throughout the width of the filter belt for the purpose ofwashing any collected particles from said filterdown into chamber 46 andthus into drain 48. Thus the filter stays clean and does not becomeclogged.

It is contemplated that under certain conditions particles of lint orother undesirable material may not be completely washed away but willcontinue under and around roller 49. For this purpose, provision is madefor heating said roller, if desired, to a suitable temperature such asup to 800 degrees F. to thus consume any lint or other combustible finematerial which reaches drive roller 49. One means of accomplishing thisis illustrated in FIG. 2 wherein a suitable combustible gas pipe 77 froma source of gas under pressure and the control of a suitablethermostatic valve 78 is connected as at 79 to the bore 80 of rotatableshaft 50. Valve 78 may cut off or control gas flow to maintain thedesired temperature of roll 49.

Said shaft has a series of outlets or burner nipples 81 in connectiontherewith providing burner points on the interior of roller 49 by whichthe gas may be ignited as desired for applying heating to said rollerfor the above purpose.

In the preferred embodiment roller 49 drives the continuous belt-likescreen 65, at a speed of 2 inches per minute. The speed can be varied asdesired.

Having described my invention, reference should now be had to thefollowing claims.

I claim:

1. In a filter assembly, a collection tank having opposed end and sidewalls and containing a body of fluid to be filtered, a filter housingfixedly positioned within said tank emersed in said fluid and having endwalls interposed between and engaging the tank side walls, said housingbeing open at its front and rear into said tank, and having an outletbelow the fluid level therein, the filter housing projecting outwardlyof the tank defining a filter cleaning chamber including a lower wall,power operated pumping means joined to said outlet for withdrawing saidfluid, :a series of parallel spaced guide rollers journaled within andextending throughout the length of said filter housing, a pair of saidrollers being horizontally spaced and located below the fluid leveltowards the bottom of the tank, a pair of said rollers being verticallyspaced and located within said filter cleaning chamber above said fluidlevel, a power driven roller in said filter cleaning chamber parallel tosaid guide rollers, and endless continuously movable filter beltextending around said guide rollers and power roller and extendinglaterally substantially the length of said filter housing, defining withsaid filter housing end walls an enclosed filtration chambercommunicating with said outlet, said filtration chamber being above thebottom and inwardly of an end wall of said tank and extendingsubstantially throughout its length, whereby fluid from said tank mayenter said filtration chamber from the front, rear and bottom.

2. In the filter assembly of claim 1, a partition across the lower wallof said cleaning chamber defining a drain chamber having a drain, a pipeextending through said cleaning chamber above and transversely of aportion of said filter belt adapted for communication to a source offluid under pressure, and a series of longitudinally spaced outlets insaid pipe for delivering cleaning and flushing fluid down through saidfilter belt to said drain chamber.

3. In the filter assembly of claim 1, a series of elongated angularlyrelated opposed pairs of guide flanges extending at right anglesinwardly from the end walls of the filter housing cooperatively engagingthe opposite side edges of said filter along their respective lengths.

4. In the filter assembly of claim 1, a rotatable shaft having a bore,mounted on and journaled through the filter cleaning chamber, said powerdriven roller mounted on and secured to said rotatable shaft, a seriesof gas burner jets on said shaft oommunicating with said bore on theinterior of said power roller, said shaft adapted for communication witha gas source.

References Cited in the file of this .patent UNITED STATES PATENTSMeston Mar. 16, 1920 Johnson Apr. 7, 1931 Wright et a1 Sept. 27, 1932Henry July 17, 1934 Saunders et a1. July 6, 1937 Fisher Dec. 28, 1943Mittman Nov. 14, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Germany Aug. 31, 1953

